My husband says that I must emit a friendly pheromone. Complete strangers who, when he greets them, grunt or nod politely will smile or greet me cheerfully when they meet me. I can't say anything about it, especially since I have not noticed that about myself before but he thinks that I must have this aura that allows people to open up to me.
He gets amazed when I end up knowing someone's life story during our first meeting. Can someone look discreet? Or trustworthy? One of his colleagues said that he has a affidavit-face - very trustworthy.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Breakfast
If there's something I have learned about eating with my husband, it's that what we like to eat for breakfast can be very different. I like the hearty breakfast I grew up with:
- congee (a thick, hot rice soup with toppings)
- pandesal (a slightly sweet morning roll) with scrambled eggs, hotdog or corned beef
- rice and sunny side-up eggs with a choice of longganisa (a sweet, spicy and tender kind of sausage), tocino (a sweet tender meat jerky), tapa (a sweet and spicy meat jerky), or tinapa/nipis/danggit (types of dried fish)
Not all at the same time, of course. Usually washed down with milk, coffee, orange juice or hot chocolate. Especially the Spanish hot chocolate, slightly bitter and better when there are churros, also known as the Spanish donut, although it's in a stick form.
Just thinking about them makes my mouth water.
He is definitely the cereal, oatmeal, french toast, or eggs and toast kind. I sometimes eat cereal as well, but I definitely crave the food of my childhood. I loved living in the Philippines and China. Mealtimes were such a celebrated, drawn out affair. Except on school days. I don't think I've ever been much for breakfast on school days. even now, my stomach starts making mad noises around 9:00am, which is when we had recess time.
However... unless you've grown up eating it, I don't think many people in the US would have the stomach to eat fish for breakfast.
- congee (a thick, hot rice soup with toppings)
- pandesal (a slightly sweet morning roll) with scrambled eggs, hotdog or corned beef
- rice and sunny side-up eggs with a choice of longganisa (a sweet, spicy and tender kind of sausage), tocino (a sweet tender meat jerky), tapa (a sweet and spicy meat jerky), or tinapa/nipis/danggit (types of dried fish)
Not all at the same time, of course. Usually washed down with milk, coffee, orange juice or hot chocolate. Especially the Spanish hot chocolate, slightly bitter and better when there are churros, also known as the Spanish donut, although it's in a stick form.
Just thinking about them makes my mouth water.
He is definitely the cereal, oatmeal, french toast, or eggs and toast kind. I sometimes eat cereal as well, but I definitely crave the food of my childhood. I loved living in the Philippines and China. Mealtimes were such a celebrated, drawn out affair. Except on school days. I don't think I've ever been much for breakfast on school days. even now, my stomach starts making mad noises around 9:00am, which is when we had recess time.
However... unless you've grown up eating it, I don't think many people in the US would have the stomach to eat fish for breakfast.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
We are, therefore, we eat.
When something helps connect us, it is a bridge. When something serves to separate us, it is a river. Sometimes, there are things that can both be bridges and rivers. A perfect example of this is food.
We're both well-traveled people and enjoy eating the local cuisine. However, there are things that I've eaten that he hasn't (and may never eat). There are things that he has eaten that I have not (but I would, given the choice). I grew up in a country that was considered third world, or to be more politically correct, an emerging economy. There were a lot of vegetarian dishes, not due to animal rights awareness but because they were more plentiful and cheaper. There was also a lot of seafood. Meat was definitely still available, and every part of the animal was utilized. It reminds me of how Europe must have been in the previous century. No part of any animal slaughtered for food, from blood to bone marrow, was ever wasted. But it also meant that meat was mixed with other ingredients to extend their amount. There was a great variety of healthy dishes. Asians have long been known for their longevity and health-consciousness. Stir-fry vegetables, rice and chicken stew, noodles galore, dim sum, meat-filled buns... It makes me hungry just to think of the many dishes I've enjoyed growing up.
My husband always says he's lucky that I'm a good cook. I tend to make dishes up or cook them from memory. I also combine leftovers with fresh ingredients to make up a new dish. My father was the better cook between my parents and I enjoyed watching him cook every now and then while I was growing up. Most of the everyday cooking was accomplished by the maids but when my father cooked, we all enjoyed the end result. My husband likes to cook as well, and he is more exact when it comes to measuring his ingredients. I tend to add a handful of this, a pinch of that, and he keeps telling me I should write down my experiments so I can reproduce them later on. But if I tend to pull together a dish from what we readily have in the house, then what's the point?
In my family, food is love. You always feed the ones you love in a way that completely satisfies the spirit as well as the body.
We're both well-traveled people and enjoy eating the local cuisine. However, there are things that I've eaten that he hasn't (and may never eat). There are things that he has eaten that I have not (but I would, given the choice). I grew up in a country that was considered third world, or to be more politically correct, an emerging economy. There were a lot of vegetarian dishes, not due to animal rights awareness but because they were more plentiful and cheaper. There was also a lot of seafood. Meat was definitely still available, and every part of the animal was utilized. It reminds me of how Europe must have been in the previous century. No part of any animal slaughtered for food, from blood to bone marrow, was ever wasted. But it also meant that meat was mixed with other ingredients to extend their amount. There was a great variety of healthy dishes. Asians have long been known for their longevity and health-consciousness. Stir-fry vegetables, rice and chicken stew, noodles galore, dim sum, meat-filled buns... It makes me hungry just to think of the many dishes I've enjoyed growing up.
My husband always says he's lucky that I'm a good cook. I tend to make dishes up or cook them from memory. I also combine leftovers with fresh ingredients to make up a new dish. My father was the better cook between my parents and I enjoyed watching him cook every now and then while I was growing up. Most of the everyday cooking was accomplished by the maids but when my father cooked, we all enjoyed the end result. My husband likes to cook as well, and he is more exact when it comes to measuring his ingredients. I tend to add a handful of this, a pinch of that, and he keeps telling me I should write down my experiments so I can reproduce them later on. But if I tend to pull together a dish from what we readily have in the house, then what's the point?
In my family, food is love. You always feed the ones you love in a way that completely satisfies the spirit as well as the body.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Marrying Out
According to the Pew Research Center, marrying out is on the rise.
About 15% of new marriages across the country in 2010 (guess we contributed to this) were between spouses of different ethnicities, which is double the number in 1980. In the 80's, only a third of Americans thought that interracial marriage was acceptable but now, more than a third say that they have a family member or relative who is married to someone of a different race.
David says we have to get moving to prove that statistic right.
About 15% of new marriages across the country in 2010 (guess we contributed to this) were between spouses of different ethnicities, which is double the number in 1980. In the 80's, only a third of Americans thought that interracial marriage was acceptable but now, more than a third say that they have a family member or relative who is married to someone of a different race.
The study also said that White-Asian couples have the highest earning power.
David says we have to get moving to prove that statistic right.
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